Clause 58 - Trafficking into the UK for
Sexual Offences Bill [Lords]
11:00 am
Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking, Conservative)
The hon. Gentleman, with his vast experience, makes a good point. What I am coming to—rather laboriously, perhaps—is that trafficking for purposes of prostitution involves humiliation and degradation for the person being trafficked, but it is much, much worse in our minds if the person being trafficked is a child. To take a robust view—I mean this gently—we are not as aghast that grown-ups are trafficked for the purposes of prostitution as we are that children are trafficked for that purpose. There is a
distinction. Both offences are horrible, but the trafficking of children is absolutely appalling.
That is why it is fair to recognise the very special protection required for children by saying—I think that the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre has done us a service—that if a trafficking offence relates to someone under 18, it should only be triable on indictment. I can think of no circumstances at all in which such an offence would merit being tried summarily: that is, with a maximum punishment of a six-month sentence. When one is sentenced to six months in prison by a magistrates court, one does six weeks. I cannot think of a situation in which such a low level of punishment would fit such a grievous offence. I hope that the Minister will take that point on board and come back to us on Report if she thinks that there is a particular need for a particular punishment for offences relating to a child.